The Newel

Silver-grey travertine — sometimes called Silver Travertine, Silver Tobacco, or Travertino Argento in trade — is travertine deposited under different mineral conditions, producing a cool, even grey instead of the more familiar warm beige. Visually, it reads more like a fine limestone than a typical travertine. The pores are finer, the banding subtler, the overall surface quieter. It is the most architectural of the travertines.

Two objects to sit on a surface. Together as a pair on a desk, console, or shelf. Apart on opposite ends of a wider surface to anchor a composition. As paperweights on stacked mail or notes. As small forms beside a lamp or framed photo. The pair has no required use. It is there to be present.

Each pair is its own. Silver-grey travertine carries quiet variation through the stone, sometimes denser, sometimes lighter, with mineral marks that read as soft shadow. We do not sort or select for uniformity. Within the pair, the two spheres are companions, not matched. The differences are deliberate.

Desk, console, low coffee table, open shelf. Set them close together as a pair, or separate them across a surface to create rhythm. Silver-grey is the most subdued travertine tone we use. It sits quietly with most palettes — contemporary or traditional, warm or cool.

For the full material story, see the Materials page.

• Wipe with a dry cloth between cleans.
• For marks or oil from skin, use a barely damp cloth with a drop of pH-neutral soap. Dry immediately.
• Avoid acidic cleaners.
• Sit them on a hard surface where they will not roll far if disturbed.
• Avoid direct sunlight on a daily basis to keep the silver tone stable.

For the full procedure, see the Care Guide.

Drop 01 opens in spring 2026. Register your interest above to be the first to know when it opens.

When the drop opens, you'll have 14 days to secure your piece. Once the drop closes, your piece is made for you by hand. Lead time from drop close to delivery is 8 to 10 weeks. Production places per piece are limited and some pieces will sell their production slots before the drop closes.

The Lintel as larger forms on the same shelf. The Joint as a sculptural companion. The Cornice plate as a base they can sit on.

Why are the spheres different sizes?

The two sizes work together compositionally in a way that two identical spheres do not. The 40mm and 50mm pair sits on a surface with a sense of relationship rather than repetition. It is the same reason classical still-life arrangements use objects of slightly varied scale.

Can the spheres roll off a surface?

They will roll if knocked, but they have enough weight that they settle quickly on a level surface. Place them on a hard, level surface in a position where they cannot fall far. A small recess or a tray under them prevents any risk.

Are they meant as paperweights or as objects?

Both. The Newel is heavy enough to hold a stack of mail or notes on a desk, and quiet enough to read as a sculptural object on a console or shelf. Most owners use them for one role on one surface, the other role on another.

How does the grey hold up against warm interiors?

Silver-grey travertine is the stone you reach for when the room is already warm. In a warm-toned interior — oak floors, linen, brass — silver-grey reads as a contrast point without competing. In a cool-toned interior, it sits as part of the same palette.

Will the spheres get marks from being handled?

Skin oils can darken open-pored stone over time. Silver-grey travertine has finer pores than beige, so it shows handling marks less. A wipe with a dry cloth between handlings is enough for most owners.